For Brittany: Cars!

There is a decent amount to learn about buying and owning cars out here.
1. Japan requires every car to be inspected every 2 years.  This is called JCI.  They look at the car from top to bottom and if there are any repairs that need to be done they will require you to fix them before it will pass.  This includes everything from the transmission to tires to brake lights... if it's on the car, they will require you to fix it. That being said, it can be expensive.  I am unsure of what the fees are if there aren't any repairs required, but I think our seller said our car is about $270.
2. Road tax is due every year at the end of May (do not wait until the end of the month-- the lines are insane).  I think the rate for our car was 19000 Y, which is $242.14  The cost depends on the size of the car's engine.
3. The military requires you to have private insurance.  It goes by your car size, sponsor's rank and age.  The Mr's was $370 for the whole year.

You will want to take all of this into account when you look for a car out here.  We found our car on www.okinawayardsales.com  You'll see most cars gor for $1000-$3,000.  You'll want one that has new tires because tires are expensive out here.  You'll also want the longest possible time left on the JCI.  We came in May, so our road tax was already paid and by the time you get here in November it will be taken care of.  There are also 'lemon lots' on each base where people who are PCS-ing park their 'for sale' cars.  We haven't looked at those yet, but we will once it is time to get a car for the Mr.

VERY IMPORTANT: Get a Power of Attorney from your hubby before you come over here.  They do not allow SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement, i.e. spouses, dependents, etc.) to own vehicles (or anything else, really) out here.  the Mr can own 2 vehicles, so everything is in his name.  The Mr and I both took (and passed) the driving exam on the same day, but they do not allow service members to get their license right away.  You cannot buy a car without a license.  You will have to get a letter from hubby's command stating that they know you are buying a car and that the service member will not be driving it-- only the SOFA-licensed wife will be driving the vehicle.  Then you will go to Vehicle Registration (on base) and register it in his name.  It's not mandatory, but life is easier if you have a power of attorney.

I hope this helps.  I know it sounds like a lot, but once you learn the terms JCI and road tax it's no big deal :)

Oh! Before I forget!  Check out the rules of the road/signs.  Japanese driving rules are largely the same as ours except for a few things:
1. DUI is .03.  Which means one drink and you're DUI.  They don't mess around with the fines/ jail time, either.
2.  No Left on Red.  (like right on red lights for the States)
3.  parking distances are in meters, so you need to know how many meters you can park from intersections, fire hydrants, passing/parking on one way streets, etc.

The signs aren't too bad, but they are different.

I think that's about it!  Let me know if you have a question about something I didn't cover.